Faculty
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Esther Okuro
Teaching Artist Esther hails from the beautiful country of Kenya and holds a Bachelor of Music Education with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Classically trained in voice and piano, Esther is a native to Chicago and says she spread her wings, explored life for her journey to lead her back to where it all started. She has studied under awarding-winning teachers, coaches, and conductors, making her theater debut at age 10 in the musical Annie right here in Chicago, and has been performing ever since. She made her Opera debut as Mistress of Novices in Puccini’s Sour Angelica in undergrad and since played principle and ensemble roles in various operas, oratorios, and musicals. Esther is a lover of languages; she speaks English, Luo, some Spanish, and is classically trained in: English, Swahili, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and languages of the diaspora. As a trained opera singer, lover of history, languages, art, culture and music, she preaches her philosophy of education and advocates for the arts, especially for people of color. She has been teaching private voice lessons in Mississippi and Alabama since 2020, and has planted roots back in Chicago in 2022, teaching early music education and private voice. She believes that music is an international language, which breaks down cultural barriers and can be used as a tool to connect us. Her strongest belief in teaching is that education should be accessible and fair to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. Esther has a passion for community service and volunteerism and instills these qualities in her students. Her love of community service landed her a title in the Miss America Scholarship Organization and the Miss Mississippi Talent Scholarship award 2021. She is the founder, School Supplies without Borders, providing resources to low income schools around the Nyanza Province in Kenya, East Africa. Her favorite saying is: “One cannot worry about meeting the expectations of others just to please them. In the end they will still be looking for success, but without putting in the work. That you have to do on your own”. |